GCV Powerlist mainstay Gen Tsuchikawa left Japanese conglomerate Sony after two decades, having led its CVC unit in the past eight years.
Gen Tsuchikawa has departed from his chairman role at Sony Ventures Corporation, the corporate venture capital arm he helped Japanese electronics and entertainment group Sony Group Corporation found.
While Tsuchikawa did not disclose his next steps, he said in a LinkedIn post: “Going forward, I would like to continue to work with all my close friends, and figure out how I could help the advancement of industries and societies, obviously including the venture industry.”
In 2016, the Sony Innovation Fund was set up to invest in entertainment, healthcare, mobility, sensor and financial technology startups. The inaugural vehicle was followed by the Innovation Growth Fund, a joint venture with brokerage Daiwa Securities targeting growth-stage companies, in 2019 and the ESG-focused Sony Innovation Fund: Environment the year after.
Sony Ventures Corporation was established in 2021 to oversee the firm’s corporate venturing initiatives, before Sony Innovation Fund 3 and Sony Innovation Fund: Africa were launched in the subsequent years. During his tenure, Tsuchikawa was featured on the GCV Powerlist every year from 2019 to 2024.
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Kazuhito Hadano, chief executive of Sony Ventures, is leading the CVC team, which has 30 members across Japan, India, Israel, the US, Europe and Africa. With about $500m under management, the unit now has more than 160 portfolio companies.
Before being appointed chairman in January 2024, Tsuchikawa had been leading the CVC unit for eight years, most recently as chief executive and chief investment officer of Sony Ventures. Previously, he held a series of senior positions at Sony, Sony Mobile Communications and Sony Electronics since 2004.
GCV Asia: Congress & International Delegation 2024
Discover the Japanese innovation ecosystem firsthand by joining us at this year’s GCV Asia Congress & International Delegation (November 11th to 14th).
Gen Tsuchikawa and Kazuhito Hadano, along with many more industry leaders, will share their insights on stage at the GCV Asia Congress on November 13th.
